Selwyn Birchwood
The Broad StageThe Plaza1310 11th Street, Los Angeles 90404
Selwyn Birchwood brings his band for a set of electric guitar, lap steel and original songs shaped by his self-described “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues”: deep blues, psychedelic-tinged rock, funk and Southern soul.
Born in Orlando, Florida, Birchwood won the 2013 International Blues Challenge and its Albert King Guitarist of the Year award. A former student of Sonny Rhodes, he has opened for Robert Cray and Buddy Guy and shared the stage with Joe Louis Walker. The Washington Post calls him “an indelibly modern and original next-generation bluesman.”
Acoustically tuned like a major concert hall, this 535-seat proscenium theater delivers the grandeur of a flagship auditorium within a footprint where every tier stays close to the stage. Patrons sit in assigned, raked theater seats finished with warm wood paneling, giving every row unobstructed sightlines and crisp, resonant sound whether the bill features chamber orchestra, jazz, or solo dance. Shows are strictly ticketed, making advance reservations essential, though doors offer rush discounts when seats remain. The crowd gathers primarily for focused listening, mingling before curtain and during intermission over drinks on the outdoor plaza, though no result mentions a full-service in-house restaurant. No result mentions late-night jam sessions, multiple sets, or after-show DJs. Free on-site parking sits directly out front on the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center campus at 11th Street, placing you just minutes from downtown Santa Monica while insulating the evening from Westside traffic. No result mentions the original opening year of the hall in the available sources.